


Right Amount of Sugar

by FaultyParagon



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, FTM Sora, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Homophobia, Homophobic family, Humor, M/M, Queerphobic Family, Riku's an absolute idiot, Romance, Supportive Queer Communities, Trans Male Character, Trans Sora (Kingdom Hearts), big whoopsie time to figure out what romance is, who accidentally fell in love with his husband
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23307046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: All Riku has ever wanted is a place to be himself- a home. It turns out that 'home' can come in all different forms- woman, man, shy, bold, long waves, short spikes. In all of these things, the common denominator is always Sora.-aka Riku and Sora get married to shut up their conservative parents, only for Riku to fall in love on accident with his husband. Oops. Based on a Reddit thread a friend sent me. Riso, Cleon and more. Modern AU.
Relationships: Cloud/Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So my best friend sent me a link to this huge chain of Reddit posts. After reading through it, we're here now. If the dude whose story this fic is based on ever finds his way here, I hope you live a life full of happiness- the amount of joy brought to me from reading your posts is unfathomable.
> 
> Note: The title is from a line of the song _coffee_ by Beabadoobee.

Right Amount of Sugar

_He's made up his mind. After months of anguished wondering and waiting and praying and dreaming, he is finally going to put his foot down and do it. The box clenched within his tense fingers is growing slightly clammy from his sweat, his nervousness sending his heart racing like a jackhammer against his ribcage. For a moment, he is grateful that his bangs cover up his forehead, hiding beads of perspiration._

_He's not usually like this. He is supposed to be better than this. He is_ the _Riku Crescent, after all- the captain of the blitzball team, the presumed valedictorian, the top of their class. He should be more confident in himself._

_But Mr. Scientia isn't exactly a normal teacher. Mr. Scientia deserves the best._

_Riku only hopes that, in Mr. Scientia's eyes, he will be enough._

_His Law and Government teacher's classroom door is open. Dodging garlands of pink and red streamers which have already begun to fall down, he ignores the post-school Valentine's Day carnage fluttering in the weak air conditioning circulating through empty hallways. It is already nearly four o'clock. He has blitzball practice soon. It's now or never._

_So, he sucks in a deep, shuddering breath and steps inside, smiling weakly at the man who has stolen his heart ever since the first day of the school year. Mr. Scientia is just as beautiful and strong and intelligent and poised as ever, and Riku's ears feel like they're burning under the intensity of his stare._

_"Hey, Mr. S," he murmurs, gripping the box tightly behind his back._

_The man looks up at him with a pleasant smile, eyes crinkling at the corners from over rectangular, wire-framed glasses. "Riku Crescent. To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

_The way the word "pleasure" slides off of the older man's tongue makes Riku's knees weak._

_Still, he steps forward, putting on the greatest masquerade of confidence and swagger he can muster. He saunters (stumbles) up to the desk, smoothly (clumsily) pulling the box of chocolate out from behind his back. He only drops the box once, so it feels like a success._

_With that piercing stare that only Ignis Scientia could manage, the box of chocolate and attached note are examined thoroughly. Beautiful eyes flick across line after line, expression not shifting an inch. Riku begins to sweat even more profusely, feeling his knees begin to tremble, his vision blurring a little in his panic._

_After what feels like an eternity, Mr. Scientia looks up. "I was not expecting that from you, Riku," he admits, voice almost bemused._

_Riku wants to curl up and die._

_His teacher continues, "It's a lovely sentiment. I shall enjoy this chocolate with my partner. Thank you very much."_

He's taken. He's in a relationship. _And the realization brings tears to Riku's eyes unbidden. He smiles and nods, waving goodbye to his favourite teacher ever, shifting his schoolbag over his shoulder as he pinches his eyes shut._ I will not cry. I will not-

_But by all evil twists of fate, he runs into someone just as he is leaving the classroom, barely able to hold it together. Larxene Gray snarls and pouts, righting herself and smacking bubblegum between glossy lips. As she takes in Riku's twisted expression, trailing her eyes back to the box of chocolates and pink wrapping paper and opened note sitting on Mr. Scientia's desk, the pieces click into place before Riku can say anything._

_"Well…_ that _was unexpected," she murmurs coyly._

_And so, that is how Riku Crescent unwillingly came out of the closet._

xXx

"Are you there, Riku?" his mother repeated, her annoyance coming through clearly across the phone.

It snapped Riku out of his daydream with a start, the man nearly dropping his phone in surprise. Clearing his throat, he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. The headache which was beginning to creep behind his eyes was going to be unbearable later, he just knew it. "I'm _not_ getting married, Mom. No matter how many times you ask-"

"You just need to meet the right girl!" the woman insisted, voice growing shrill. There was an edge of hysteria to her words as she repeated, "You're a _good, eligible bachelor,_ Riku, and you are _wasting your youth_ cooped up in Radiant Garden-"

"I'm _happy_ here, Mom." _Far away from you._

She clicked her tongue, clearly preparing to repeat the same circular conversation yet again. Riku found himself quickly tuning it all out. It was a conversation they had had hundreds of times before, after all.

So, as she began to berate him yet again for his life choices, Riku's eyes drifted instead over to his many monitors. The debugging program for his latest client was running on his work PC, while a group chat consisting of his small circle of college friends filled another screen, the dialogue streaming in non-stop as his friends provided running commentary on a show they had been watching together. His gaze flickered over their hundreds of comments as he idly changed a setting on the chat, muting it for eight hours rather than just the thirty minutes he had planned for. _They're going to be watching that all day, huh?_

He would scroll back through their never-ending banter that night in bed, as always. They wouldn't mind if he lurked on the outside- it was what he always did.

His mother was still going on her usual rant in his ear, so he stood, stretching out a kink in his back. Almost a decade since Larxene Gray had spread the truth of his sexuality around Midgar, and his parents still couldn't accept it. He paid attention for a moment, humming along as she insisted, _yet again,_ that he should come back and live in Midgar. Back where they could keep an eye on him.

He wouldn't return- at least, not permanently. It had made sense for him to leave his parents' city, despite having received a full-ride blitzball scholarship from Shinra's private, much more local college. At least in Radiant Garden, no one knew him as 'the gay Crescent boy'. At least in Radiant Garden, he was free to lust after any man he fancied. The men of Midgar had known of his reputation long before he had even remotely begun searching for romantic partners- there was no chance he'd meet someone there. And even if he did meet someone, his parents would ensure he'd never see them again.

Finally, it seemed like his mother had run out of steam. "You know we… we care about you, right Riku?"

 _You care, but you don't_ love _me anymore._ She hadn't said that word since his junior year- since the truth came out. "I know, Mom," he said emotionlessly, walking through the silent apartment barefoot to reach his kitchen. "I know."

"Good. Just… _try_ and find a girl, okay?"

"Take care, Mom." And he hung up, letting out a heavy sigh. Just like that, another phone call taken care of. He wouldn't have to listen to her rants again for at least a few more weeks.

Riku slid the device across his kitchen table, running his hands through platinum-blond hair. _I should cut this,_ he thought idly, flipping his overgrown bangs upwards. _It's getting out of hand._ Pulling the ingredients for a simple breakfast out of the fridge, he froze as he walked past the microwave for a moment, his reflection staring back at him accusingly.

He was twenty-six years old. A highly successful twenty-six-year-old, with a lovely apartment and a solid career and numerous accolades to his name. Photos from college blitzball tournaments lined the top of the bookshelf in his living room, the tiny frames just visible around the corner of his kitchen- those photos recounted so many conquered opponents that he couldn't even remember most of them.

And he, the highly-successful twenty-six-year-old Riku Crescent, was single, and he was gay. And thus, nothing else he had ever achieved really mattered.

His reflection betrayed his discontent, his long hair falling into his eyes and past his shoulders with every movement. He groaned, grabbing a headband off his dining table and forcing it all back out of his face. While he didn't mind long hair in theory- he looked _damn_ good with it, he knew- it still didn't change the fact that long hair made him look far too much like his father, and that was a resemblance he refused to partake in.

His phone beeped. Glancing at the screen, he rolled his eyes on instinct, a new message flashing from a potential dating match. _Why did I let Zack convince me to download this app?_ Still, curiosity won him over, and he opened it up with barely a second's hesitation.

It took a moment for the sent image to register in his mind, much to his chagrin. He promptly closed the app and tossed his phone back down, directing himself back to the stove to make himself food. If he was going to be bitter and exhausted, at least he could have a full belly.

The good thing about taking on the draining calls from his mother was that he always felt a little freer afterwards. Although it took him some time to recuperate the mental energy needed to carry on with his day (along with two more cups of coffee- the woman could never appreciate the three-hour time difference between their cities, and would likely always call him early on Saturday mornings for their 'chats') he finally did find himself ready to begin the day. And, after a quick workout in his apartment complex's gym and a shower, he felt like himself again.

Booking the appointment with his hair stylist slipped his mind, though.

Still, life carried on. Riku's every day was nothing too interesting nor impressive, but it was _his,_ and that was good enough. While he knew the next phone call with his mother would inevitably take place, for the time being, he could pretend like there was no familial disappointment awaiting him on the other end. It wasn't like he saw his parents often- they were generally far too busy in Midgar to fly out, and he had no intention of visiting them without a solid reason.

So, it was to everyone's surprise (read: all of Riku's friends, who were just as embittered with the treatment of his queerness as he was) that his next phone call with the woman who raised him sounded almost… loving.

"We've bought you tickets to come home, honey," the woman crooned. "We've spent so long apart. It's been what, eight years? You need to come home, even if it's just for a little while."

"Um- but work-"

"Oh, honey, I'm _sure_ you've saved up vacation time. Please come? We miss you so."

Riku didn't know how to respond. For a long while, he just sat in silence, desperately trying to process what he had just been told. They wanted to see him? His parents? _His_ parents? Wanted _Riku?_

His friends were overjoyed when he told them of the trip he would soon be taking out to Midgar. "See, Riku? They're proud of you!" Aerith cheered, clapping her hands excitedly.

Yuffie's grin nearly split her face in two. "Aw, Riku is fixing the tormented relationship with his family members!" she squeaked, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. How she did it despite the large restaurant table between them, he didn't know.

Cloud merely patted him on the back. "It's weird, going back home," he confessed sagely. "I didn't know what to say when I got there."

"Yeah, so _I_ had to do all the talking," Tifa groaned. "God forbid either of these two would say anything useful." The two childhood friends had taken Leon and gone back to their hometown of Nibelheim to visit estranged family members during the Christmas holiday, so they were the resident experts in pilgrimages back home.

Riku merely groaned, making exasperated eye contact with Cloud's partner. Leon simply shrugged and shook his head. _Yup. You definitely didn't say a word when meeting Cloud's parents. Quiet bastard._

And yet, despite all of the teasing from his friends, it would've been a complete lie to say that he wasn't excited to see his parents. Over the phone, his mother had sounded excited. It was a stark contrast to the day he had moved out.

Even now, he winced on instinct when he thought of the violence he had seen that day.

Cid plopped a jug of happy-hour-beer on the table, waving off cheers and hollers from the rest of the group. Looking at Riku solemnly, the man murmured, "It might be good for you, kid. Reconnecting and all that jazz. Give it a shot."

The thought of reconnecting with his family sounded _amazing-_ in theory _._ "Maybe it _will_ be nice to go back," he pondered aloud. "I… I haven't really thought about the actual possibility in a long time."

"Go for it, Riku!" Yuffie hollered, pouring more beer into his glass. "It'll be amazing- you can reconnect with the fam, and see why they've had a pole up their asses all these years-"

"Yuffie," Leon warned lowly.

"What? It's true!" The impish woman turned back to Riku, protested her innocence. "I'm right, right Riku?"

"You're not _wrong,_ " he conceded, drawing a barking laugh out of Cid and Cloud. Still, the gang refilled mugs and came together to toast his trip home- to renewing old relationships and finding family and everything else the rowdy group could come up with in the otherwise-idle bar.

And yet, a little voice in his mind screamed in denial. How could he go home? How could he go back to the family that had, upon finding out his sexuality, denied _everything_ about him? How could he look his parents in the eye and smile when they had turned away from him in his greatest time of need, essentially forcing him to keep silent about who he was? "If you can't change, then just don't make us more ashamed," his father had boomed before slamming his study door in Riku's face upon finding out.

What place did Riku still have in that house?

It was on a whim that Riku decided to book a cheap hotel room to stay at during the weekend he'd be returning to Midgar. He wasn't going to use it- his mother had insisted that he would stay at home so they could 'spend time together'- but he felt it was only right to have a backup.

Just in case.

…He didn't want to use his 'just in case'.

Still, since he had booked the place anyways, he decided to drop off his bags there three weeks later upon arrival. The flight over to Midgar had been fairly short, but getting through airports was always exhausting, and due to delays, he was already running late. Understanding the delay with the airline, they had agreed to transport his stuff back to their family home after their evening meal was concluded. Apparently, they were going to take him out to dinner.

_Okay. Neutral ground, a public place. They can't throw anything at me in public. I'll be fine._

So, in his tiny hotel room, he showered and threw on a decent button-down and a pair of slacks. Mournfully, he realized his hair was still too long- he'd forgotten to cut it each weekend, and now it was a little too late- so he tied it low at the nape of his neck and hopped on the familiar, screaming trains that circled around the perimeter of Midgar.

When he arrived, his parents were waiting outside of the restaurant. His mother's blue eyes lit up in pure bliss when she saw him, the woman immediately pulling him into her arms. He stiffened in the embrace, slow to return the gesture. When he did, however, it was startling to see just how easily the petite woman fit into his arms.

Had she always been so small? The last time he had seen her properly, he had been a downtrodden teen barely on the cusp of eighteen. It was almost jarring to see how much thinner she felt.

But still, she had power over him. When she let go of him, she reached up to cup his cheek and coo over how handsome he was. Riku nearly cried at the touch. He didn't.

His father, however, hadn't changed. Upon facing him, Riku felt his shoulders automatically straighten and push back, chest puffing up ever-so-slightly, chin raising to look the man in the eye. Cold, calculating green stared back at him, appraising the young man from head to toe. Despite every inch of his body screaming at him to run away, his heart pounding in his chest and his spine tight from the closeness, Riku didn't flinch, didn't waver.

A cold smirk lit up his father's face. The older man brushed his nearly waist-length, silvery-blond hair out of his eyes. Riku's heart recoiled at how similar his own reflection looked to the man before him. _I need to cut my hair the moment I get back_.

"Welcome back, Riku," his father said evenly. "We can catch up inside- shall we?"

Riku nodded curtly, holding the door open for his parents. He did his best to maintain eye contact with his father as the man walked past. It wasn't easy, but he did it.

 _I'm not the same kid I once was, I guess._ That small victory was enough to put a little spring back in his tense steps.

The establishment was typical of his father's tastes- classic, minimalistic and elegant. There was very little fluff to liven up the dimly lit restaurant, but every tablecloth, glass, napkin, utensil- everything screamed of wealth and class and high society. As they took their seats, the waiter immediately launching into the day's soups and meats and the appropriate wine pairings, Riku's mind drifted. _I wish I was at home._ He had frozen pizzas at home. He'd take those over this nonsense any day.

It took a few minutes for him to understand the implications of where they were seated. "Mom, why did we get such a big table?" he asked, worry rising up within him at an alarming rate.

He was right to have reacted as such, apparently. Barely a beat passed since the words left his lips before a voice called, "Sephiroth! Is this your boy?"

His father stood, a business-like grin settling upon his face with ease. Riku, however, paid no mind to the words coming out of his father's mouth- instead, he simply stood when commanded, heart sinking into his shoes as he turned to look at their apparent guests as they took a seat at the Crescent's table. There were three people- an older couple, jovial and welcoming in the way that only businesspeople could be, and a young woman, likely in college still.

He knew what this was. This wasn't a trip to reconnect broken bonds between family members. This was a trip to introduce Riku to a woman.

This was just another chance for his parents to deny Riku's very being yet again.

He was going to be sick.

The only thing that brought a modicum of joy to his dizzy, spinning world was the fact that the young woman looked about as uncomfortable as he felt. _At least I'm not alone._

After reeling back in silent horror for too long, he began to pay attention to the conversation again at the most inopportune time, apparently. His mother groaned, "Riku's getting a little old to be unmarried-" _Woman, I'm only 26!_ "-so this is just the perfect opportunity."

The mother of the frustrated young woman clicked her tongue in weary agreement. "It's true, our darling is also getting up in years-"

"Mom, I'm only 24," the daughter grumbled.

She was promptly ignored. Her mother continued, "Her twin brother's already taken, you see, so we've been so worried about who she's going to end up with! Boys can wait a little longer, you know how it goes." She turned to Riku, asking, "So, what do you think of our daughter?"

Riku didn't even feign a smile when the woman smiled at him, looking for approval of her daughter.

An icy moment of silence fell over the table as they awaited his response. Riku closed his eyes, trying his damnedest to ignore the furious glare from his mother boring into the side of his head. Still, he didn't respond.

It was his father who finally broke the nearly-unbearable quiet. "We'll let the young ones discuss amongst themselves." The man stood, walking around behind Riku's chair to place firm, icy hands upon his shoulders. "I'm sure Riku would love to get to know her better in privacy, right?"

Mutely, Riku nodded, cursing himself for cowering. He couldn't help it, though- the waves of hatred and anger emanating from the looming figure behind him were too much to bear, so utterly different from the feigned politeness from outside the restaurant.

And so, the four older figures left the table, gossiping cordially as they left their children behind along with tension thick enough to suffocate someone.

The moment they were out of earshot, the girl leaned forward, tapping the table to get Riku's attention. He turned to look back at her with a start. "Look, bud," she began in a surprisingly boyish timbre, her wide blue eyes and round, open face oddly menacing, "I don't know who you are or why you asked your parents to set this up-"

"I didn't set _anything_ up-" Riku interjected, but she barrelled over him.

"-but you are barking up the _wrong_ tree, mister."

Riku scoffed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. _Why's she so angry?_ "Look, I don't know what _you're_ talking about, but my family just asked me to visit home for once. I didn't know this was happening."

"A likely story," the girl spat, tucking long brown strands behind her ear. "Either way, I'm not the person you want, so you can go and tell your parents that I'm not marrying you and that's that."

There was a low edge to the girl's voice- something that was nagging at the back of his mind. Why was she so angry? Why was she so bitter?

"Why am I so 'bitter'?"

Riku winced. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Still, she huffed, "I'm going to tell you this once, and you better not breathe a _word_ of it to anyone because Mom and Dad don't know, but…" and she sighed, taking a moment to clearly psych herself up to share whatever the big secret was.

Finally, the woman seemed to find her balance, looking up determinedly at him. "I'm trans."

Riku blinked at the anxious, angry face in front of him, taking a long moment to just let those words sink in. This figure in front of him, with their wide blue eyes and rosy cheeks, clear skin and smooth brown hair falling in cute waves around fairly thin shoulders covered in a little baby-blue dress… _they_ were _transgender?_

"Well… shit." Riku sighed, reaching over and grabbing his wine glass. _So… she- they're male? They identify as male, that's what they're telling me? And no one knows?!_ Gulping down the beverage unceremoniously, he placed the glass back onto the table. _Am… am I really going to do this?_

Looking at his dinner companion's resolute expression, however, he knew the truth. He had no choice.

"It's Sora, right?"

They nodded, bangs falling into their eyes cutely.

Riku held out his hand to shake. "Well, Sora, I'm Riku. You're right- we can't get married. I refuse to get married out of principle, and my parents know this. This just won't work, no matter what- even though you're a transgender man, if you're staying closeted... I don't know how that'll work, because I'm gay."

Despite all of the discomfort he had experienced that evening, the look of joy and kinship in Sora's eyes as the shorter figure took his hand was enough to make Riku's whole night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait for the pandemic to end so I can go to pub trivia nights again.

Right Amount of Sugar

_The bar is everything he does not need at the moment, but he doesn’t care. The fake ID in his pocket wasn’t even examined when the bouncer let him in- whether that was because the larger man had seen the despondence in his eyes, or because he’d mistaken Riku for a girl with his long, silky hair, Riku doesn’t know. Either way, it doesn’t matter. His mission tonight is simple- get drunk, pick up the pieces tomorrow._

_If there were any pieces left, that is. It doesn’t feel like there should be anything left after this._

_The look in his mother’s eyes… she had never shown him anything but affection all his life. How could someone so kind, so loving, so tender, just suddenly turn her back on him? He had done everything right! Everything had been going well!_

_But, all it had taken was a little rumour to shake the foundations of his world._

I can’t stay in Midgar, _he thinks miserably as he glances around. The bar which he has stumbled into is dark and grimy, the walls an unflattering muddy brown, the tables creaking wood. He slips into the seat furthest from the door, tucked into the last corner nook at the bar itself, keeping his eyes low. He just wants to drink. He just wants to forget._

 _The blitzball team of Shinra Private Academy told him that he should quit. As the bartender passes him his first drink, he ponders this- what would life be like without blitzball?_ I can’t play in Shinra U. if I drop out of it now. _His full-ride depended on his blitzball career._

 _He chokes on his drink as a laugh bubbles up in his throat unbidden. Coughing, he gasps for air, tears swimming in his eyes. A tiny thought flits across his mind as he breathes in, out, in, out, calming himself down. To avoid attracting the skeptical looks of the bartender, he flashes the man a small smile and takes another sip, keeping his eyes low, his tears held in._ Dad won’t even let me go to Shinra U. anymore, will he?

_Riku knows he has caused ‘too much of a mess’ to stay in the city. His father’s spitting fury, the purple, tender swelling on his stomach, are all proof of that. He’ll have to email other schools. Maybe somewhere far away, somewhere he can escape the oppressive atmosphere of the big city. He had always thought life on top of the Plate meant that he was living freely, but as he feels probing gazes examine him from head to toe from every corner of the dive, he knows that the upper Plate is just as bad as where he finds himself right now- in the slums below it all._

_But where would be a good location? He had grown up thinking that Shinra University was the only choice. Were there even other schools that would take him?_

_Suddenly, a light touch his on his shoulder. “Who made the fake, kid?” a low voice rumbles._

_He glances upwards, entire body tensed. He has to run, doesn’t he? But when he makes eye contact with a fair face marked only by a nasty scar across the bridge of a haughty nose, auburn hair falling into stormy grey eyes just as young as his own, the accompanying figure beside the speaker blond and soft and far too pretty to be in the slums, Riku understands. He silently waves them both beside him, and the two teenagers have a seat._

_“Reno,” the three of them say in unison, a wry grin crossing all of their faces. Reno makes the fake IDs for all of the richer students. No one asks why or how, but he manages to fool Shinra scanners stationed at the elevators going down into the slums every single time, and that’s good enough for the teens requesting his services._

_“I don’t recognize you two,” Riku murmurs._

_“Balamb Academy,” the blond mutters in response, nursing his own beer just as clumsily as Riku. “You?”_

_“Shinra.”_

_The brunet nods. “Needed a drink after exams today. Only a few months left.”_

_“Then it’s Radiant Garden.”_

_“And we’ll be out of here.”_

_Riku perks up. The University of Radiant Garden is well-known, highly acclaimed, prestigious… everything his family name requires of him._

_And it is far enough away that he’d never have to go home again._

_“…are applications still open?”_

_The two other boys exchange wry grins. “You’ve got enough money, so yeah.” At Riku’s confusion, the brunet whispers, “You’re Riku Crescent, right?”_

_Riku winces, nervously shifting away from them._

_“Don’t worry. We get you. Leon,” the brunet offers._

_“Cloud,” the blond adds._

_“You’re both going to URG?” Riku murmurs._

_Cloud nods. “It’ll be better there.”_

_And, out of the corner of Riku’s eye, he sees Leon reach over and grab Cloud’s hand for just a moment. There are so many layers of wistful grief in Cloud’s voice that Riku makes up his mind on the spot. In the morning, he will search up the admission requirements for Radiant Garden. These two understand. They’ve done their research. He’ll be okay there, probably._

_But for now, he will drink._

xXx

By the time Riku and Sora’s parents had returned from their little escape, the two younger people had come to a few conclusions:

First off, the whole situation was garbage, and neither wanted any part in it. They both didn’t want to get married unless they were able to express themselves freely, and with the partners chosen for them by their parents, it wouldn’t happen.

Second, they knew that their parents were quite desperate to have arranged this meeting already. So, as long as they were technically _progressing_ towards a relationship with someone of the ‘opposite’ gender, then their parents would likely leave them both alone.

Third, the two of them got along, surprisingly enough. Sora was loud and rambunctious and silly, the biggest personality in such a small body that Riku had ever seen- hell, he’d even give Yuffie a run for her money, and Riku didn’t think that lightly. But Riku was used to loud and rambunctious and silly, and he easily was able to tease the younger. They had few shared interests, but it was clear they could become fast friends. The chances that the two of them, of all people, would be brought together in an arranged marriage meeting… what were the odds?

“I’m not really _out_ to anyone, so you’ve gotta let me vent to you about stuff, okay dude?” Sora insisted. “I don’t really know many people who are also queer.”

“It’s not exactly something you advertise topside,” Riku murmured wistfully.

So, after they played the fun Pronoun Game (“You call me ‘him’ alone, or with my brother, but you call me ‘her’ or ‘they’ with anyone older than 30,” Sora kept insisting sagely while Riku made mental notes, “and you _never_ text my pronouns- just my name”) their parents walked in on seeing them exchanging phone numbers and messing around. The self-satisfied smirks on all of their faces instantly soured Riku’s mood.

“Isn’t she a _lovely_ girl, Riku?” his mother hummed, stroking Riku’s arm lovingly.

Riku, in return, bit back all of his instinctive wincing and cringing at her insistence of Sora’s ‘femininity’, and forced out a smile. “ _She…_ sure is.” He could practically hear the silent cheers of victory coming from his parents- after all, their disgraced son was finally going to have some sense and settle down with a nice girl, right?

_Not if I can help it._

With a little bit of nudging and pointed looks shared, the dinner came to a quick close, leaving Sora and Riku to say goodbye whilst their parents keenly observed. Rather than simply waving goodbye like they wanted, Sora threw his arms around Riku’s waist, much to the delight of the older figures watching (it felt almost like having a younger sibling, and the idea amused Riku greatly, although he was sure that his mother misinterpreted his smile for romantic affection) and gave him a squeeze.

Patting brown hair comfortingly, Riku chuckled, “Text me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will! Thanks, Riku.” Bright blue eyes looked up at him warmly, all the words Sora needed to say conveyed in that one little look. _Thanks for getting it, Riku._

 _No problem, Sora,_ Riku thought back, waving goodbye as the younger went to rejoin his parents.

As soon as Sora and his family had disappeared, Riku’s mother raced forward, clasping his hands. “You two would make a wonderful couple,” she insisted, looping her arm through Riku’s. “I’m glad we planned this.”

For a moment, Riku’s heart fell. His mother used to be this affectionate with him when he was in high school- they often used to go out on little adventures while his father was on business trips. He missed having the woman by his side unconditionally.

But it wasn’t unconditional. He knew that now.

Pulling his arm away from her, he nodded stiffly to her and his father. “I’ll be heading back to Radiant Garden in the morning,” he stated, deadpan.

His father regarded him for a long, tense moment. Finally, he said, his smooth voice barely concealing his enmity, “You would do well to be kind to that young woman.”

“His- Sora’s father is a business partner?”

“Our family’s business affairs are none of your concern, Riku.”

Riku winced and nodded, feeling exhaustion tugging at his bones. “I’m off.”

His mother pouted, blocking his path. “You promised you’d stay-“

“And _you_ promised you’d respect me. That clearly isn’t happening.” Glaring at the two of them, he took in a deep breath, trying to bite back his bitterness. “Enjoy your evening.” And with that, Riku headed back to the hotel, booking the next tickets he could out of Midgar before even crossing the threshold.

His parents didn’t contact him afterwards. Perhaps they had been appeased that at least Riku was contacting a woman, and that the possibility of him entering a heterosexual relationship was on the horizon. Perhaps Sora’s parents had spoken to them, sharing that Riku did message Sora once he was heading home- or perhaps his parents had finally given up. Either way, he didn’t care. When the next call from his mother didn’t arrive on its usual schedule, he just counted his blessings and moved on.

However, despite his desire to push back against the parents who continued to reject who he was, Riku stayed in contact with Sora. The younger was funny and charming, his vibrant personality coming through on text and video-call easily. It brightened up Riku’s day, whether he’d admit it or not- so much of his work was done at home that it was nice to have such a wild change of energy thanks to Sora.

Despite their close proximity- Sora was a student at URG, it turned out- they never met up. There was no point reinforcing a relationship in the eyes of their parents beyond what was needed to give each of them some freedom. So, the two remained good friends at a distance.

The people most intrigued and invested by the whole situation, as it turned out, were Riku’s friends. For the first few weeks after his return to Radiant Garden, his friends left him alone to decompress after the rough visit. It was still his vacation time, after all. However, once that period of time was ending, they had dragged him out to their favourite pub’s trivia night, anxiously waiting for the full story.

“So why’d you come back early, Riku?” Aerith asked, her eyes full of concern despite her lighthearted tone. “You seemed so ready to stay for a while.”

He shrugged. “It’s… complicated. Nothing really worked out the way we were expecting.”

“Okay… details?” Yuffie asked, smacking her hands down on the wooden table. “You can’t just leave us hanging.”

He was about to share everything, when suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. Pausing Yuffie for a moment, he messaged Sora, asking about whether he could say what happened during the arranged meeting without using his name.

The younger responded in just a few seconds, clearing him to go for it. Relieved, Riku took a swig of his beer, leaned back, and let the entire mess slip out.

It was with some satisfaction that Riku watched his friends’ eyes grow wide in shock, then fury, then grief. Although most of them were clumsy at best with emotions, Riku could feel the disappointment coming even from Cloud and Leon, who watched him with furrowed brows and pursed lips.

“That’s absolutely awful,” Tifa murmured, reaching out and grabbing his hands gently across the table. “I’m so, so sorry, Riku.”

Yuffie stood, almost sending her chair crashing into the next table. Her eyes glimmered in barely-contained anger. “Ooh, I’m gonna teach your folks a lesson! What the heck do they think you are, a doll? You can’t just marry someone ‘cause they told you to do it!”

Cloud sighed, pulling Yuffie back down to take a seat. “They can, and they will,” Cloud muttered quietly. “His dad is a Shinra exec. They don’t mess around on top of the Plate.”

Leon grunted in affirmation, taking a large swig of his beer.

Cid sighed, blowing smoke from his cigarette out in a steady stream, much to the chagrin of Aerith. “Look, kid,” he said gruffly, “at least you know you won’t be marrying that lil’ tyke. From the sounds of it, they ain’t too interested in tying the knot with you, either, so just keep playing up the pretenses and you’ll get the folks off your back eventually.”

“Is that what you do with Shera, just ‘pretend’ you’re not together-“

“You shut your mouth, you idiot,” the man grunted, tossing a few fries at Yuffie’s wicked grin.

Riku shrugged, pushing his hair back out of his face. “Either way, I’m not visiting them anymore, and they think I’m actually invested in that kid, so we’ve got the situation handled.” He put on his best smile, trying to assure his friends that it was alright.

It would _have_ to be alright.

…he was still a little bitter that he hadn’t been able to visit his old home.

_Oh well._

Thankfully, he was spared further scrutiny when the hostess of the trivia night stepped out from the back, holding up the tickets and golf pencils for each table to play. His friends were always ridiculously competitive, and soon, their attention was locked anywhere _but_ his frustrating visit back to Midgar.

Unfortunately, they weren’t deemed the victors. Yuffie complained about the loss the whole way back to the tram station. “How the hell was _I_ supposed to know how many stairs are at Sunset Hill in Twilight Town?!” she shrieked into the night air. “Isn’t that the point of the whole ‘Seven Mysteries of Twilight Town’ tourism shtick- that no one knows?”

“We did get prizes, though,” Aerith murmured, holding out her hand proudly. There was a little jade-coloured plastic ring on her hand, shining under the streetlights. “It’s so cute!”

“Participation trophies,” Cid spat, tossing his own ring to Yuffie to keep. “Don’t need it.” The hyperactive woman had made it her job to collect one of every type of ring, so her eyes lit up greedily at the sight.

Tifa giggled, turning to Cloud. “Look, I’m just proud that you remembered terminology for different types of lingerie. Anything to share?” she added with a wink.

Cloud’s entire face lit up, beet-red. “I can’t forget it,” he grumbled helplessly. “You scarred me back then and you know it.”

Tifa’s laughter turned into cackles while everyone else laughed on. No one would forget the time in university where she had dressed him up as a woman to go on a double-date with someone.

Riku laughed along, too, his fingers playing with his own participation prize. It was a little paopu fruit ring- while he didn’t know too much about the history of the fruit, Aerith had explained it significance with delight as they had left the bar. “You share a paopu with the person you love, and you will share the rest of your lives together, too,” she had said dreamily. He had rolled his eyes, tucking the ring into his pocket, where it would likely stay until he washed that jacket.

His home was here, with these people. They were mid-twenty- to mid-thirty-somethings that were all a bit too tired and too jaded, but they were able to laugh about life and stupid toys and silly memories anyways. That was all he needed.

So, life carried on. He went back to work, continued earning contracts and building up a good name for himself, and kept watching his friends gossip about television and movies and video games he’d never see nor play on their group chat. He worked out and read novels whenever he had the chance, and texted Sora whenever the younger wanted to vent about life. Even when his mother began to call him again, all she ever did was extol Sora’s virtues (according to his parents) to Riku in a desperate attempt to make him agree to the wedding. Thankfully, that was easy enough to shut down the moment he mentioned he was still in contact with the younger.

Everything was working out alright.

And then, two months after his short-lived trip back to Midgar, he received two very strange messages.

The first was an email from his father. It was written in memorandum format, the coldness of it all putting Riku on edge. Sephiroth Crescent did _not_ contact him.

Still, the meaning of the overly-polite message was short and sweet. _Get married to a woman soon, or we’ll force your hand._

Riku didn’t want to know what that would look like. He just wanted to be left alone.

The second message was a late-night request from Sora. It was a frantic series of texts, jumbled and worried- but at the end of it all, Sora pinpointed the Central Plaza of Radiant Garden, the biggest park in the city. He needed to chat with Riku immediately.

 _Is… is he okay?_ Worry and fear rose up in Riku’s throat like bile, his heart thudding in his chest. Sora was a sweet human. Riku couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to not be out to _anyone-_ being misgendered every day must’ve been painful. If Riku could give him some support, he’d do whatever it took. So, Riku tugged on his jacket, grabbed his keys, and headed out of his apartment towards Central Plaza.

Despite it being a fairly clear spring evening, the park itself was totally empty, save for one pacing figure practically wearing a hole into the cobblestones. Riku hurried over to Sora, calling, “Hey! Sorry I’m late, it took a while for the tram-“

“Riku!” Sora shrieked, voice high and warbling. Before Riku could prepare himself, a shorter body came crashing into him, latching on in the tightest hug Riku had ever experienced.

The silver-haired man coughed, patting Sora’s back quickly while his ribs groaned in pain. “Okay, Sora, let go- what happened?” he wheezed, slowly peeling the younger off of him.

Sora pouted, not making eye contact. “Sorry, Riku- I just…”

Riku didn’t cut in, wanting to give him time to respond. However, Sora just seemed lost for words, switching between pulling out his phone and reading something, to awkwardly running his fingers through his long brunet waves.

Finally, it was clear that he wasn’t going to share without a little bit of prodding. “So. Why’d you call me out here today?” Riku took a seat on a nearby bench, rubbing his hands together in the unusually chilly evening.

Unlike his usual exuberant behaviour, Sora’s smile was strained as he took a seat beside Riku. “I… um…” The younger hung his head quickly, the words spilling out before he could stop them. “My parents are telling me to meet up with another guy.”

That shocked Riku. He had gotten so used to hearing his own mother coo about Sora and their inevitable match that he had totally forgotten that Sora’s parents were players in the game, too. They wanted Sora to find a man soon- for what sensible reason, Riku would never know.

Quietly, Riku joked, “You know, you say that like meeting someone new is the worst thing in the world. Was I really that bad?”

He chuckled as Sora threw a weak punch against his shoulder, the other clearly not intended to harm. Still, Sora’s gaze was melancholy as he said, “You’re cool, Riku. And I’m happy- _really, really_ happy that we’re friends.” He looked into Riku’s eyes, heart full of love and compassion and gratitude on his sleeve. “You know that, right?”

Riku rolled his eyes and scoffed, but inside, his heart was melting. The kid was so sweet- he didn’t deserve this kind of worry. “Maybe you’ll meet someone cool, though. Not as good as me, mind you- but I’m sure we can find you second-best.” Riku paused, brain leaping through scenarios. “Wait- unless you’re actually interested in women? ‘Cause then I cannot help you.”

Sora sighed, slumping back against the bench. “It’s not that,” he muttered, full lips in a pout. “I’m interested in men. It’s just…” Riku’s heart broke as he saw the light fade a little in Sora’s eyes, a look of pain and bitterness filling that normally vibrant expression. “The chances of finding a guy who’s cool with the fact that I’m trans but also would still interested in me even if I transition in the future is…”

 _I hadn’t even thought of that._ With Sora’s controlling parents, what were the chances he’d find a guy who was alright with his identity? Would Sora end up playing the role of the ideal daughter forever, even with ‘her’ husband?

“Ugh, this is the worst!” The younger slid down the bench further, throwing his arms across his face as if to shield himself from the state of their world.

Almost automatically, Riku reached over and patted his hair knowingly. “We’ll figure it out.”

As Sora began spewing solution after solution to their problems into the void of night, the hazy frustration in Riku’s mind began to clear, and in its place sat an answer. At first, he couldn’t believe what the thought was- in his surprise, he simply said it aloud, giving it shape in the brisk night air.

“Fuck it. Why don’t… why don’t we get married?”

Sora’s tirade stopped in its tracks, and the younger turned to face Riku with abject horror and shock in his face. “What are you _talking_ about, Riku?” he cried, cringing and sliding a little bit farther down the bench from Riku. “We’re _not_ getting married- nuh-uh. No way. Not happening.”

Riku immediately sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose while he formulated his thoughts. “Look,” he muttered at last, exasperated. “They’re telling me to marry a woman. They refuse to acknowledge I’m gay. They’re telling you to marry a man. They don’t even know you’re trans, and you’re not coming out to them anytime soon-“

“Nope,” Sora affirmed, an intrigued light in his eyes.

“So,” Riku explained slowly, “at least if we get married, then we can get them off our backs. I live in Radiant Garden full time, so you won’t have to talk to them very often in person even after you graduate. I have enough space for a roommate, as long as you help me take care of the place- and you’re closer to school.”

Sora’s expression was pinched, the younger clearly lost in thought as he weighed the options carefully, twirling one long strand of hair idly around his fingers.

“And then,” Riku added finally, “if you or I meet someone who we actually love and want to be with, we can divorce, or have an open relationship, or whatever. The parents don’t have to know, we’re free to live our lives, and we don’t have to be the prodigal children any longer.”

“And then they’ll leave us alone,” Sora breathed.

“And then they’ll leave us alone.” _Hopefully._

“It’s…” Sora’s face untwisted slowly, light entering his eyes so brilliantly that Riku almost needed to look away from sparkling blue. “It’s so silly, it might work.”

Riku’s heart thudded in his chest. Sora’s long hair fluttered around his face in the wind, framing his round features so sweetly that Riku almost laughed. What kind of soft creature was he swearing his life to?

But if he married Sora, he wouldn’t ever have to hear about marriage from his parents ever again. Riku had never spent too much time thinking of having children, and if he did, he had always pictured himself adopting once he was older- with Sora, he could likely do that. And, at the end of the day, he considered Sora to be his friend. At the very least, he wouldn’t be chained to someone he hated.

So, he made up his mind.

Reaching into his coat pockets, his fingers met with the little object that had been in there since the trivia night weeks earlier. He had never bothered to take it out, since he rarely had to leave the house- but now, it was perfect.

Dropping onto one knee, he pulled out the little paopu fruit ring, the yellow washed out underneath the fluorescent streetlights. “Sora, will you marry me?”

After a moment of just staring at Riku with his mouth agape, letting the moment sink in, Sora finally seemed to come to life once more. With a flash of teeth and a mocking curtsy, Sora held out his left hand. “Heck yeah I will,” he replied impishly.

So, Riku slid the little plastic ring on Sora’s ring finger. Surprisingly, it fit, and the younger quickly raised his hand up to examine the ring closely. His eyebrows shot up to his forehead, and he narrowed his eyes accusingly. “Okay, if this really was a ‘whim’, then how did you manage to have the _perfect kind of ring,_ huh mister?” Sora asked, suspicious.

Riku raised his hands in defense. “Look, man. I won it in a game, and my friend said it brought out my eyes.”

Sora snorted immediately, all doubts gone. “She nailed it.” Fluttering his lashes, he added, “I think it’s better on me, though.”

Riku’s smile grew and grew until he could bite it back no longer. This felt natural. This felt right. And, best of all, he could already imagine the sheer relief from having his parents finally leave him alone. There were worse things than promising to spend the rest of one’s life with a friend, right?


	3. Chapter 3

_The University of Radiant Garden is well-known for its picturesque, beautiful grounds, its incredibly-prolific business college, its highly competitive chemistry department, and its closeness to the scenic city it borders. These things mean little to Riku as he steps forward in line, clutching the straps of his backpack tight against his chest, waiting for the clerk at the front desk to greet him._

_Finally, it is his turn. He does not get a second glance from the receptionist, who merely demands his name and ID, quickly filling in the paperwork necessary to give him his keys. When he receives them upon a lanyard, a clunky metal key for his bedroom and a small key for his mailbox alongside a sleek card to get into dormitory buildings, he wants to weep. He is here. He has made it._

_Maybe now, he will be free._

_He thanks the woman and shuffles through the crowd of frenzied parents and students, all coming to this housing complex for the start of the new school year. It is only new students who live in this place; the faces surrounding him are a mixture of vibrant and enthusiastic, and weary and nervous, a few teary eyes glittering through the fray. These are his peers, and most of them will be starting a new stage of life away from their families today. That is why parents linger upon every corner, hugging suitcases close to themselves and trying to maintain their cool while their children retrieve keys and take their first steps towards independence._

_Riku has no one with him aside from a taxi driver. His multiple suitcases are in the back of the large van, and the driver waits patiently by the roadside, snuffing out his cigarette onto the pavement before unloading Riku’s bags at last upon Riku’s return. There are a few advisors, older students with smiles too manic to be natural, who help him brings those bags up to his room after he has paid the driver. Once they help him get into the dormitory and guide him to his room, he just has to drown out the sound of loving parents scolding their children as the hall fills up one by one._

_He wonders for the briefest moment whether he should have asked the driver to come up here with him. He may have felt less alone, even for just a second._

_He will not have a roommate. He will share a bathroom with his neighbour, however. For a moment, he wonders whether he should have taken up Cloud and Leon’s offer to live with them; they would have been happy to add a third roommate to their contract, but Riku didn’t want to intrude. They also have lived in secret for far too long. He does not want to spoil their first chances at building a life of peace together by injecting his presence, as welcome as it may be in their friendship which has grown steadfast over the past half a year._

_So, he steps into the unit. It is a small, spacious room, with a long bed pressed up against one wall and a sturdy desk pressed against the other. He instantly wonders how he can rearrange this space to truly become_ his _over the school year, and begins pulling all of his bags into the room neatly._

_A crash from the bathroom catches his attention, so he drops his backpack onto the mattress and flings open the door._

_Inside, perched upon a stool with colourful paints spilling all across the sink and countertop in front of her, is a short young woman with large, almond-shaped brown eyes, watching him with mischievous glee. Her green tank top has been stained by the spill, but she looks completely unaffected. “Heya. Are you my bathroom buddy?” she asks brightly._

_He looks past her to the other door in the bathroom, which hangs wide open, giving him a clear view into her bedroom. It is messy and vibrant, clothes and books and wires spilling everywhere. Mutely, he brings his gaze back to her and nods._

_“Well, I’m Yuffie!” she announces with a cheerful grin, short, silky hair bobbing around her round face with every word._

_“Riku.”_

_“Riku? Tell me something about yourself!”_

_He only blinks for a moment, simply wondering whether he should even address the rapidly-drying paint upon the counters. “Um…”_

_“C’mon, something fun! Something that you haven’t told anyone before. Ooh, share with me your secrets!” She wiggles her eyebrows mischievously. “We’re gonna know too much about each other, so we better get friendly now!”_

_He does not know why he says it. Perhaps he just wants a chance. Perhaps he just wants to test the waters, to see if Leon and Cloud were right- if he will actually be free here in Radiant Garden._

_“…I’m gay.”_

_She rolls her eyes. “Hi gay, I’m dad.” Stomping her foot on the stool, she pouts, adding, “You’ve gotta give me something better than that! What’s your favourite dinosaur?”_

_And Riku smiles wide, because he has found his first friend in university, and she seems like an absolute airhead- and he knows that she is going to be held close to his heart for a long, long time._

xXx

Riku knew his family too well, and as it turned out, he knew how Sora’s family would operate, too. With his little toy ring upon Sora’s finger, he grabbed the younger man’s hand and brought him back to his apartment. There was no time to waste if they were going to get this done as efficiently, and as painlessly, as possible; however, there was going to be a lot of work to do pre-emptively if they wanted this wedding to be over and done with.

Thankfully, Sora was always game for a little challenge.

They got to work with no time to waste. Riku’s work was in a lull, so he could dedicate his efforts to this scheme of theirs. Sora’s exams were finished and his final papers were only due within the next week, so he was not concerned. Riku gave Sora a tour of his home without hesitation, opened up his guest bedroom, and pulled out his lease contract, writing a quick message to his landlord to let him know that he was thinking of getting a roommate.

Sora was more than happy with his prospective home, relishing in the wide bed in the guest room, although he bemoaned the lack of décor. “Do you mind if I spruce it up when I move in?” he asked, all innocent excitement and doleful curiosity.

Riku stared at him for a long, hard moment. Finally, he sighed. “Don’t drill holes into the walls, use only wallpaper-safe tack to put up posters, I should always be able to walk, and you’re not allowed to leave any body pillows anywhere but your bedroom.”

Sora’s face lit up. “I don’t have any body pillows, but I want them! C’mon, Riku, who’s your favourite character?” The younger elbowed Riku lightly in the stomach, jabbing his sides. “We can get our favourite boys. Tell me!”

Riku rolled his eyes and walked out, continuing his tour and trying to bite back his amused smiles at the brunet’s eagerness.

After that, the duo sat down and began their research. Riku was well-off on his own, and Sora too had his own little nest egg of savings, but neither wanted to waste time nor money on a wedding that wasn’t happening for love. So, they quickly organized what they would need to do legally, sorting out bills and making lists of things Sora would need to change; knowing their parents, Sora would be forced to change his last name and become a Crescent.

Riku’s heart ached when he realized that fact. Sora was giving up his name for a man he didn’t even love. It didn’t feel fair. Sora wasn’t upset, though. “Dude, ‘Sora Crescent’ sounds kinda cool, doesn’t it?” he squealed, brown hair flying around his face excitedly as he jumped on the soft couch, all enthusiasm and energy. “I’m down!”

The elder laughed. “Alright, alright, Sora. Come on, sit. We have to figure out the paperwork.”

“And the story!” Sora chirped. “Don’t forget- we’ve got to convince our folks.”

Riku shook his head. “ _Your_ folks. Mine will just be happy to know I’m ‘not being a disgrace’ anymore.”

Sora frowned, brows furrowing. Before Riku could stop him, he walked around the table and wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck, giving him a warm, comforting embrace from behind. “I’m sorry, Riku,” he breathed, breath tickling Riku’s ear. “You’re not a disgrace. You’re amazing.”

Riku could hear the telltale choking of Sora’s throat, and he was right- shifting in his seat, he quietly pulled Sora into his arms, comforting the younger as Sora began to shudder and cry, whispering his words of relief and of thanks as reality finally sank into him.

Riku was going to give him a chance at freedom. It was not something which Sora took for granted, and Riku would not let him down.

Over the next week, whenever Sora wasn’t working on his schoolwork, the two of them zipped around town and collected what they needed. They figured out exactly what the paperwork would be, the cost of a wedding; they managed to find a sweet, simple wedding dress in the back of a decrepit thrift store that Sora was confident his mother would approve of, as long as they dry-cleaned it to hell and back. Riku even researched venues in Midgar which would be fitting, so that they wouldn’t have to worry about hosting their family in Radiant Garden.

Sora jokingly protested when he said that. “A wedding in Radiant Garden would be so much prettier, though!” he teased, leaning back from his computer as he sat on the floor of Riku’s apartment, frantically typing away at a research essay.

With a wan smile, Riku said, “But that would mean bringing our family- bringing _Midgar-_ here.”

Silently, the smile slipped away from Sora’s face, replaced with discomfort and unease. The wedding would be in Midgar.

Eventually, the terms and conditions they would present to their parents was set. If they were forced to have a ceremony rather than just signing the paperwork, then the wedding would be a small affair, limited to family and close friends. None of Riku’s nor Sora’s friends would be invited for fear of letting their sexualities or Sora’s gender identity slip. There would be no long reception, no pomp and circumstance; just a ceremony officiated by someone the parents approved of, and then Riku could take his new ‘bride’ home and begin his new life with a rambunctious, platonic roommate.

Once Sora’s final paper was submitted for the term and the young man was asleep on Riku’s couch from the sheer exhaustion, Riku set the plan in motion. For the first time in years, Riku called his mother first, rather than the other way around. “What is it, Riku? Unusual of you to call.”

Riku clicked the ‘send’ button on his computer, casting off his message to both his parents and Sora’s parents at last. “I sent you an email just now letting you know, but I thought you should like to hear it from me. I proposed to Sora and h- and Sora said yes.”

The ear-splitting shriek of joy that erupted from the other end was so loud that Sora awoke, jolting up with a clumsy yelp of surprise. Riku winced, holding the phone away from his ear until the noise died down, tussling Sora’s hair and waiting for the woman to speak on the other end.

She didn’t. For almost a minute, Riku waited for his mother to speak, but not a word was uttered from her end. “Are you still there?” he asked at last, confused.

A soft, keening sob doused him like cold water. His mother was crying in joy.

His heart clenched, and he grit his teeth, a grimace forming upon his lips. He loved Sora like a friend, and nothing more. If he had been bringing someone he truly loved as his partner to his family, what would his mother’s reaction be? Would she be just as ecstatic? Would she ever show this much warmth, this much love and joy and relief?

He knew the answer.

In the email, he laid out their terms cleanly, along with options for venues and available bookings. They were going to get this done as soon as possible. His father responded by the end of the day with his choice of the lot, and so, by nightfall, their wedding day was booked; it was uncomfortably close, with his father using his influence to pull strings and arrange for a venue within the month. In every word of his father’s reply, Riku could feel the tension, the annoyance; it was clear that his father would have preferred to have a large, ostentatious event to prove to the world that his son was not, in fact, gay.

Still, his father didn’t object to Riku’s terms, despite the fact that Sora’s parents were less than pleased, since Sora’s brother wasn’t going to be able to make it. Riku’s father smoothly consoled them, though, just as eager to get this over with as Riku himself. Thanks to this wedding, the Crescent name could remain ‘untarnished’.

Riku could only laugh at the situation in which they found themselves. Who was being played as the bigger fool here; his father, for thinking that Riku’s partner was truly a woman? Or Riku, for having succumbed to his family’s conservatism and bigotry in even the smallest of ways?

At least Sora was happy. That, in itself, was enough.

With a date in mind, there was really only one thing left to do; tell his friends.

Sora was not with him when he let the news slip at last. At first, he regretted it- he had a feeling that Sora would get along perfectly with his motley crew of misfits and weary adults- but the moment that everyone took in the information and Aerith dropped her fork on the table in shock, the entire group began screaming and hollering so loudly it was a blessing they weren’t ejected from the pub right then and there.

“But- but _why?_ ” Yuffie cried, frantically looking at everyone else’s faces for agreement, for solidarity. “Riku, you can’t just get married to shut them up, it’s not worth it-“

“Yuffie,” he soothed, reaching out and grabbing her hand which was gripping onto her napkin so tightly she was tearing it, “it’s fine. Paperwork can always be undone. Divorce exists, and for now, this is the best way to let us have some breathing room.” He had already explained the situation with Sora’s blessing, after all.

“You’re not actually in love, are you?” Tifa asked, her doubt clear as day. “So, what’ll happen if you meet someone else?”

Riku shrugged, a wry smile on his face. “I mean, if that happens, then we’ll get divorced. Or maybe I’ll just be the most honest adulterer and get Sora to bless my unfaithfulness. It doesn’t really matter- he’s okay with it.”

Cid could only cackle and gawp at the entire situation. “You’re all a bunch of crazy jackasses,” he howled, taking a pause only to slam back another pint of lager. “I cannot believe you’ve got the guts to do this.”

Leon grinned, patting Riku on the shoulder. “Tell us how the wedding goes.”

“Why, so you can steal my flower arrangements?”

Cloud snorted, although his ears were tinged pink. “As if- Aerith’s going to make any wedding we have beautiful.”

Aerith clasped her hands delightedly, giggling at the mere thought. “Oh, we would clean out my whole garden to decorate your wedding!” she laughed. Turning to Riku, though, her eyes softened. “You’ve got a dress sorted?”

“Is Sora even going to wear a dress? Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?” Yuffie insisted.

Riku’s smile twitched sadly. “…Yeah. But this isn’t for us, sadly, so he’s looking at it like a costume party more than anything.”

The others traded concerned glances, unsure of what to say. It was Aerith who finally broke the silence, though, the woman standing up and walking around the table to hug Riku gently. “Let me know how we can help, Riku,” she cooed. “We’ll do whatever we can.”

The earnestness in her voice almost made him weep. Sensing his vulnerability, his hidden, quiet anxiety about the entire affair, his friends silently stood to hold him and shake his hand and pat him on the shoulders, whispering quiet words of support and affection and acceptance, because the unspoken understanding that none of them could go with him was clear. He would have to face this trial alone, and that fact stung more than anything.

They were still willing to help, though.

An engagement ring and two wedding rings were borrowed from Aerith, as the woman’s foster mother had a huge collection of simple, elegant heirloom rings; Riku promised to return them the moment their purpose was complete. Aerith insisted on letting him keep them, but Riku’s intuition was right on the money when he murmured, “I don’t think Sora really wants to wear something so… delicate.”

Aerith’s face melted into understanding. “You’d better get him something cool and ‘manly’ the moment you get back to the Garden,” she teased.

“Of course,” he whispered, giving her a hug, basking in the sense of playful peace that she always brought.

Cloud and Leon jokingly held a bachelor party for him, which amounted to buying too much pizza one night and watching television with him till dawn when Sora was staying in his dormitory, still amidst the woes of packing his belongings since he would soon be moving into Riku’s apartment.

Yuffie was the most torn that she couldn’t join him, coming over the night before his departure for the sole purpose of proving that her tiny form could fit into his suitcases. “I should be your best woman!” she screeched, angrily pacing behind Riku as he packed his bag. “You can’t go face them alone!”

“I’ll have Sora with me,” he said, not paying her any mind as he ensured that all pieces of his rental tuxedo were in the garment bag. “You don’t have to worry.”

But his best friend from first year refused to let that go, large eyes filling with frustrated, bitter tears. “I want to be there for you, Riku,” she squeaked, biting her lip to hold back her anger.

He sighed, pulling out a tissue and holding it to her nose. Obediently, she took it and blew into the tissue with a loud, undignified honk. Chuckling, he handed her another tissue to dry her eyes. “Yuffie, if I ever do get married for _real,_ you’ll be there,” he promised. “You know that.”

She pouted. “…fine.” And he smiled, for he knew she would hold him to those words no matter what.

The paperwork was signed well before boarding the plane back to Midgar, as Sora needed his new IDs to arrive. When they finally came in the mail, alongside all of the paperwork officially registering them as a married couple, it was finally time for the wedding; to Riku’s relief, their mothers had finally acquiesced to their demands of having a small wedding, and had taken charge of planning the whole thing for them to their specifications. “It’s still going to be over the top, huh?” Sora muttered weakly when the day of their trip finally arrived. To accommodate for the trip, Riku had taken a week off from work, while Sora still had two weeks before his summer semester began; the two of them had packed up what they needed to last them a few days in the cold, unfeeling metropolis and headed out with dread in their hearts.

“It will. It’ll be fine,” Riku said in the taxi, but his jaw was clenched tight, his palms clammy. “It just won’t be held in a back alley or something.”

“Your dad isn’t going to say a word to you, huh?”

“Not without a camera in front of us, he won’t.”

“…I feel like I’m lying to my parents,” Sora whispered.

Riku stroked brown strands gently, pushing them up out of blue eyes. “I’d rather you lie to them than lie to yourself,” he said. “The moment we’re back, let’s wreck all your dresses.”

Sora’s amused smile was enough to ease the tension.

It was a little uncomfortable, going to the airport and announcing that they were going to Midgar for their wedding; even worse was how Riku clumsily held Sora’s hand, the young man’s long hair and delicate features giving him the perfect appearance of a nervous young woman with her partner as Riku announced, “I’m boarding with my… my wife.”

Still, the flight went off without a hitch, and the simple hotel they had booked provided them with two beds, just like they asked for. The night before the wedding, Riku and Sora stayed up late watching movies until they passed out, only waking up the next day to frantic calls from Sora’s mother, insisting that he needed to get his hair and makeup done. Riku grabbed one of his hands before he left, squeezing gently. “I’ll see you at the altar, Sora,” he promised.

Sora’s anxiety eased a little bit, bright blue eyes softening. “See ya soon, Riku.”

And with that, Sora left the hotel with his wedding dress, freshly cleaned and tailored to fit his slight form, in a garment bag, leaving Riku a few hours to get dressed in his tuxedo and arrive at the venue.

 _Maybe I should’ve taken Leon and Cloud’s offer to come as my best men,_ he thought idly, lying back upon his bed. His friends had wanted to come with him- all he had to do was say the word- but Riku had rejected it. _If my family had realized that they were in a relationship, this whole thing could’ve gone south._

It was just for an afternoon. Just one afternoon, and everything would be over, and Riku would never get another passive-aggressive phone call of thinly-veiled insults ever again.

The wedding went off without a hitch. Just as predicted, his father did not even acknowledge him, leaving the task of ferrying Riku around to the wedding planner his mother had hired. Riku didn’t mind, for he was practically catatonic for most of it, eyes glazed over and only moving when he was told to. Weddings were always too ostentatious of an affair for him, so to have his own all decorated with lacy filigree and soft lighting and elegance and opulence spilling from every detail despite the relatively-small scale for a upper-class ceremony in Midgar made him a little sick.

At least Sora looked beautiful in that white dress, walking down the aisle. Riku could see it objectively; he physically was a lovely woman. There was no joy in that thought, however, as he could see the sheer discomfort buried underneath the layers of makeup upon his face, his long hair curled and tumbling over one delicate shoulder. _He’s so strong,_ Riku thought distantly as Sora’s father finally allowed Riku to take Sora’s hand at the aisle, where the officiator could finally put the whole affair to rest. _He’s holding up so well._

“I, Riku Crescent, take thee to be my wedded… wife,” Riku breathed when the time for vows finally arrived, “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” He couldn’t even hear Sora’s vows in return, his ears ringing too loudly in the sheer chaos of his mind. This was happening. This beautiful creature before him was becoming his lawfully-wedded partner, and there was nothing he could really do about the fact that there was no love to be found; that their vows were naught but a farce.

That daze was finally broken at the end of the ceremony, after giving Sora a gentle kiss to please the small, scrutinizing audience, giving them fodder to realize that no, Riku was indeed settling down with a woman, and that the rumours surrounding his sexuality could finally fade away. It was no words of another who caused him to come out of his stupor, however; as the photographer sat them down on the elegant lounge just outside of the hall where the short reception dinner would take place, Sora did a very clumsy shuffle in his seat, clearly uncomfortable in the constricting, but elegant dress of lace and jewels and chiffon. They snapped photographs with their parents and with the guests, playing the part of the beautiful new couple with little complaint.

“Smile,” the photographer urged as Riku and Sora’s parents finally allowed them to take a photograph on their own.

Riku leaned over to Sora and whispered, “Why didn’t you bring basketball shorts for under the dress? Would that have been better?”

The undignified snort and following fit of laughter from the duo produced better photos than any other taken that day, and finally, they looked like a true couple. The approval from onlookers was clear as Sora’s laughter spilled for joyously from his lips as he snickered and whispered back too quietly for the guests to hear, “Should’ve ditched the heels for some sneakers, too.”

And as Riku caught his mother and father’s approving faces, Riku felt himself freed of the labels and the judgement he had felt for the past eight years. He was free.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment to let me know you're reading along!


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